


Hilda and the Eternal Train

by Exotos135



Category: Hilda (Cartoon), Infinity Train (Cartoon)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anger Management, Backstory, Campfires, Chaos Emeralds, Character Development, Clones, Comfort Food, Confidence, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Daddy Issues, Developing Friendships, Dimension Travel, Drama, Dreams and Nightmares, Everyone Has Issues, Family Drama, Family Issues, Fantasy, Fear, Female Protagonist, Food, Friendship, Gen, Magic, Male-Female Friendship, Mommy Issues, Monsters, Nature, POV Female Character, Parent-Child Relationship, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Pride, Race, Racing, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Discovery, Soul-Searching, Spells & Enchantments, Supernatural Elements, Trains, Trolls, Witch Hunters, Witchcraft, Witches, World Travel, Worldbuilding, Worry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:13:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28916655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Exotos135/pseuds/Exotos135
Summary: After an argument with her mother results in her being grounded, Hilda escapes from home to vent. However, with the police almost spotting her, she decides to hop into a mysterious train with a green glow.From there, she begins an adventure unlike every other: an adventure to better herself.
Relationships: Hilda & Johanna | Hilda's Mum (Hilda), Hilda & Twig (Hilda), Johanna | Hilda's Mum & The Librarian (Hilda)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 33





	1. The Train

Hilda wasn't having the best day. Or night, for that matter.

_"If you could let me explain-"_

_"That you lied to me and then disappeared while there's a sea monster attacking the harbor?! I was worried sick!"_

That exchange constantly played again and again in Hilda's head, but no matter how many times she remembered it, she kept walking ahead into the forest, arms pocketed with a weary expression.

Alongside her was her critter companion, Twig, who looked worried for his owner as he followed her steps.

"Uh, Hilda, we really should go home."

The girl stopped and looked around for a moment... only to remember the tiny elf known as Alfur that basically lived on her hair.

The miniature elf came out of it and spoke to her ear:

"It's getting pretty late. Don't you remember what your mother said-?"

"Yes, Alfur, I know what she said; I couldn't forget it even if I _wanted_ to," Hilda responded sternly. "I'm just going to take a midnight stroll to clear my mind."

"But you're grounded!"

"Of course I'm grounded; I'm walking, aren't I?"

"Hilda, I understand that you're angry about what happened, but even you have to accept that you're only digging yourself deeper by doing this."

Twig whimpered in agreement.

Hilda kept walking, avoiding eye contact with the duo as she reached the edge of the wall surrounding Trolberg.

She raised her head, growing angrier as the wall just seemed to get taller and taller the more she looked at it.

Then, she walked to the nearest rock, verified it wasn't a sleeping troll, and sat on it to catch her breath.

"Hilda, I insist, we really should go back home now," Alfur said worriedly. "The police go on patrol tonight! If they find you here outside, you'll be in even more trouble!"

Hilda's eyes widened, but she quickly calmed down as she grabbed the little elf and brought him to her face.

"Fine, you have a point. But before we go, will you at least listen to what I have to say?"

Alfur thought about it, then nodded with visible worry. Hilda stood up, put him on the rock, and paced back and forth as she spoke:

"It's just so unfair! Every other time I've dealt with the supernatural happenings on this city, she's been worried, yes, but that's it! And it's not like it's something recent; I've had to deal with fantastical creatures since we lived alone in the plains! So why is she now suddenly getting on my case and grounding me for doing something?!"

Alfur and Twig exchanged raised eyebrows.

"Well, I'm not sure what happened between you two, but I'm sure if you talk things out-"

"I wasn't finished."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's fine. Now, where was I? Oh right: and that's without considering the fact that, whenever something supernatural happens, _I'm_ the only one that tries to solve it: when the Thunderbird lost his memory, who ultimately helped him remember who he was? Me! When David was being fed nightmares by the Marra, who was the one who tried to get her off his back? Me!"

"But you had someone to help you," Alfur pointed out. "I helped the Thunderbird find you when your Mum locked us out, and Frida helped you with the Marra."

"And I'm grateful for that. However, that doesn't change the fact that I was still the one who took the lead, and that ticks me off the most!" Hilda raised her arms. "I'm the one who has to get her hands dirty to deal with the problems! I'm the only one who chooses to try deal with them-!"

_"Is somebody out there?"_

Hilda flinched and turned around to see not only the light of the flashlights, but the shadowy forms of the police in the distance.

"And I'm gonna be grounded forever for this."

"I told you the police went on patrol tonight!"

"Save the smart comments for later, Alfur!"

Hilda grabbed the elf and bolted away alongside Twig, but her footsteps only caught the police's attention even more.

_"I definitely heard something over here!"_

_"In the name of the law, stop right now!"_

_"Yeah! Don't make us be competent!"_

Hilda looked to her back, and stopped as soon as she heard something like a whistle in the distance.

"Did you hear that?"

Moments later, a long train with a green glowing appeared out of nowhere and stopped in front of Hilda. The cart Hilda was facing opened its door, revealing a glowing void with no features whatsoever.

"Okay, I definitely didn't see that coming," Hilda remarked.

"None of us did," Alfur frowned. "But, Hilda, maybe we shouldn't hop on board. Who knows what's inside that thing!"

Twig nodded in agreement. Sadly, the police's approaching footsteps reminded Hilda she had to make a decision quick...

And she seriously hoped she wouldn't come to regret this.

"Whatever's inside, I can handle it!"

And so, Hilda jumped into the cart alongside Twig and Alfur, the cart snapping its door shut just as the train began to move again.

As for Hilda, she screamed as she and Twig rolled down what seemed to be a steep hill, with small patches of snow slowing her down repeatedly. She kept rolling until she hit a rock, Twig crashing right on top of her soon after.

"Well, that was a rough ride," Hilda said as she stood up. "Is everybody okay?"

Twig quickly got up and barked, waggling his tail in relief.

"I'm fine too," Alfur said, wobbling out of Hilda's hair. "But next time, we should try to-"

Alfur wobbled off Hilda's ear, the girl quickly catching him with her hand.

"Thanks, now excuse me while I wait for the world to stop spinning."

Hilda nodded and stood up, taking a brief moment to look at where she was.

For the most part, the "cart" seemed to be some sort of forest, with several trees and circular rocks decorating the vast greenfield pastures.

And in the night sky, not only was the sun rising, but the birds were flying, alongside the living puff balls known as Woffs.

"It's like the field Mum and I used to live at," Hilda said out loud. "But, where are the elves?"

Hilda hummed at the thought, then looked at the distance... with her quickly spotting a cottage that looked very familiar to her. 

"Well, I'm not going to get any answers standing still," Hilda said with a yawn. "Let's go, guys."

And so, Hilda put Alfur on her hair and began to walk towards the cottage, unaware that one of her palms was glowing green...

And that she was getting a little... sleepy...


	2. Uneasy Morning | The Woff Car I

Johanna had better nights. And better _days_ , for that matter.

Not only did she have an argument with her daughter last night, but now that she had gotten enough time to think about it, she came to an upsetting thought:

She was partially responsible for Hilda's behavior.

After all, the two of them were all alone in the woods for most of Hilda's life, and though she tried to rein her in, she also attempted to provide her with some freedom. After all, the wilderness surrounding her, though dangerous, was quite breathtaking, and it would be a waste to just watch it from inside a safe space.

Clearly _that_ didn't go as well as she had hoped.

Regardless, she got up, and mentally prepared herself as she did her morning routine... and paused to check on Hilda's room.

"Hilda?" she called. "Are you awake?"

No answer.

"Listen, sweetie, I know things got a bit... intense last night," Johanna rubbed her arm. "But I just want you to know that I didn't mean to come off as... _mean_ or anything. I was just worrying about you."

Still no answer.

"Hilda, please, I know you're upset, but I'm sure we can reach an understanding if we just take a moment to talk things out."

Again, no response. But this time, Johanna was growing rather agitated.

"Hilda, you've been an early riser ever since you were born; if you're trying to make me think you're still asleep, it's _not_ gonna work."

The fact there was still no response after that forced Johanna to take drastic measures: she grabbed the house keys, and used Hilda's room key to open the door.

"Stop ignoring me-"

Once she opened it, however, she saw to her shock that not only was Hilda nowhere to be seen, but the window was open, with a rope made of bedsheets tied to the bed's leg, and going out the window.

" _Hilda!"_

* * *

"Huh?! When-who-where-wha?"

That's the first thing Hilda said upon waking up, causing Twig to jolt awake and lick her hand.

"Twig?"

"Oh, you're awake!"

Hilda flinched and turned around, hugging Twig defensively as she was approached by someone who looked... familiar.

This someone was a girl, around her age, who sported dark blue hair, a pointy nose, a Purple scarf, Green sweater with matching boots, and an Orange skirt. She also had a white beret and leggings.

"I was growing worried I had found you too late," the girl said in relief as she went closer to Hilda. "How do you feel? Can you remember anything?"

Hilda rubbed her forehead, yawning before rubbing her eyes to clear up her vision.

"Oh, right, you just woke up," the girl said before reaching for her back and taking out a cup. "Here, I made some coffee."

Hilda accepted the cup with a little smile, and one sip was all it took for her to be fully active once again.

"Wow, this stuff really does wonders!" she chirped, petting Twig as she added, "Thanks for the cup."

"Your welcome," the girl clasped her hands. "Anyway, I'm Helga. What's your name?"

"I'm Hilda, nice to meet you."

"Hilda!"

The bluette looked up, and saw Alfur climb out of her hair and onto her nose.

"Oh, hi, Alfur! Looks like you woke up too!" she chirped. "I hope my sudden collapse didn't scare you."

"I think there's a more pressing matter at hand," Alfur folded his arms behind his back and gestured to his right. "More specifically, your hand. In your palm."

Hilda raised an eyebrow, perplexed by the elf's statement, but she nonetheless decided to humor him.

What she saw startled her: on her palm was a number, 219, which emitted a bright, mesmerizing Green glow.

"My goodness..." Hilda frowned. "How long have I had this?"

"Well, once I recovered consciousness and you fell asleep, I noticed the glow, so I think the number appeared as soon as we entered the train."

"But how is that possible?! How could I _suddenly_ have a number on my palm and not notice?!"

"You were pretty tired, maybe you were so sleepy it escaped your mind?"

And then Hilda's stomach growled.

"And now I'm hungry," Hilda sighed. "Why didn't I bring food with me before coming here?"

"I got that covered."

The group turned around, and saw the Helga girl finishing decorating a nearby table, two plates with sandwiches already in place.

With another growl from her stomach, Hilda stood up, walked to the table and sat down, taking a deep breath before she spoke:

"I... appreciate everything you're doing for me, a total stranger, I really do. But I got a few questions."

Helga grabbed a sandwich. "Ask away then."

"Where exactly _are_ we? Last thing I remember is falling right into this place after jumping into a train."

"You're currently in the Woffland," Helga took a bite off her sandwich. "It's a place where Woffs visit frequently, with no other creature in sight."

"That sounds boring," Hilda remarked nonchalantly as she grabbed a sandwich as well. "Anyway, why did you decide to help me?"

"Hmm, that's a tough one... I guess I'm just doing what my Dad would've done."

Hilda's eyes widened. "Your Dad?"

Helga turned around, and smiled at seeing a picture of who Hilda assumed was her father.

"He's been by my side ever since things became rough between him and Mum: he taught me everything I know and then some, even. And he was also someone who'd always lend a hand to someone in need," Helga spoke with melancholy. "And some of that idealism rubbed off me."

Hilda frowned. "Where is he now?"

"He left to go find Mum, see if they could manage to work things out and at least become friendly with each other. It's been a while since I saw him, though..." Helga paused, looking upset, but her cheerfulness quickly returned. "But he's been looking with all his might, and I know he'll return eventually!"

Hilda looked elsewhere, and muttered with a bitter tone:

"I used to think that, too."

"Psst, Hilda!" Alfur whispered. "The number!"

Hilda took another look at her number, and after a moment, she showed it to Helga and asked:

"Do you know what this number is for?"

Helga stared intently at the number, but she could only come up with a single reply:

"I have no idea, but Dad used to have a number as well."

Hilda's eyes widened. "He did?!"

"Yup!" Helga chirped. "In fact, his number disappeared just before he left to go find Mum!"

Hilda looked at her palm once again, this time looking positively shocked. Then, she tested the sandwich she held, hoping it would help her calm down...

And it most certainly did.

"By the Deerfox aurora, this sandwich is _heavenly_! What's it made of?!"

"Bread, cucumber, and some red herring," Helga answered cheerfully. "It's a family recipe that Dad taught me."

"You gotta share it with me!" Hilda chirped before she took a moment to calm down. "After you help me find a way out."

Helga tilted her head, forcing Hilda to explain:

"Look, in case it wasn't obvious, I'm not from around here. I was just taking a night stroll when a couple things happened and I found myself hopping into some interdimensional glowing train!"

Helga blinked once with an amused smile.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"No, I do, I'm just smiling because I like trains," Helga rested her cheek on her palm and looked out the window. "I mean, I've never seen one before, but from the way Dad used to talk about them, they seem pretty cool!"

Hilda hummed, then took another bite of her sandwich before adding:

"Can you help us go back home?"

"Hmm, well, I have no experience leading people back home, so this could be fun," Helga scratched her chin. "But the real question here is, do you _really_ wanna go home?"

Hilda's munching on her sandwich came to a halt as her expression suddenly turned somber.

"Hilda?" Alfur asked.

Twig whimpered with sympathy, and Hilde looked elsewhere.

"Do you mind if I have some time alone?"

"Sure, no problem!" Helga chirped. "The guest room is upstairs, right beside my room!"

Hilda put the sandwich back on the plate and walked off, pocketing her hands as Helga watched her leave, her cheerful expression slowly turning worried.

* * *

Once at the guest room, which consisted of just a bed and a window, Hilda sat on the bed and rubbed her head with her non-glowing palm hand, humming as Alfur hopped off her hair and landed on her shoulder.

"Hilda, I know you're probably conflicted over the question Helga asked you, but we both know that-"

"That what? That I _have_ to go back home so Mom can _ground_ me some more?! Or that there might be some supernatural event happening that I need to deal with for everyone's sake?!"

Suddenly, a bright glow emanated from Hilda's palm, and she saw her number had jumped from 219 to 225.

"My number grew?" Hilda asked out loud. "But all I did was tell the truth..."

"Okay, let's look at this from another angle," Alfur said. "Instead of saying we need to leave because something might be happening in Trolberg, let's say we need to leave because we don't know what sort of dangers lurk around here!"

"I don't know, I mean, the Woffs are present, but going by what Helga said-"

"Hilda."

The bluette took a deep breath and got off the bed. She walked to the window, and took a look at the green pastures and giant mountain with what seemed to be a door at the top-

Wait... a door at the top of the mountain?

Hilda rushed out the guest room, taking Alfur and Twig with her, and returned to see Helga washing the dishes.

"Helga!"

"Oh, hi Hilda," she greeted casually. "Do you feel better now?"

"That doesn't matter!" Hilda pointed at the mountain in the distance. "Why's there a door on that mountain?!"

"Oh, you noticed? That's the mountain of the Woff King," Helga answered with a casual tone. "The door is a massive one that leads to his castle."

Hilda gained a hopeful smile. "Do you think he could help me get back home?!"

"Well, that's a possibility," Helga hummed. "However, the only way to get there is by riding a Woff: they're the only ones capable of traveling fast and high enough to reach the door."

"Riding a Woff?" Hilda put her hands on her hips. "I've been doing that since I was five! Now I just need a Woff to ride-"

"Luckily for us, today's the Woff migration, so a lot of Woffs are gonna be heading to the mountain, allowing us to blend in easily."

"Us?" Hilda repeated quizzically. "What do you mean "us?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Helga finished the last plate and twirled once to face Hilda. "I'm coming with you!"

"Eh, I'm not so sure about that..."

"What are you talking about, Hilda?!" Alfur whispered to her ear. "She lives in a place we're completely unfamilar with, if there's anybody who can help us, it's her!"

Hilda rolled her eyes and lowered her eyelids. "On second thought, I'd be happy if you joined us."

"That's the spirit!" Helga said, cheerfully clapping. "Now, give me one second to call Branch!"

"Branch?" Hilda repeated, visibly confused.

Helga and Hilda's group went outside, where the former whistled to call forth the Branch she was talking about: a large Woff-like creature with deer legs, antlers, and a fox's tail.

"Hilda, Hilda's friends, let me introduce you to Branch," Helga said cheerfully. "He's a Deerwoffox, and my best friend!"

"A Deerfox-Woff hybrid?!" Hilda exclaimed. "How did that happen?!"

"It doesn't matter how Branch came to be," Helga said as she hopped right onto his back. "What matters is what he can do."

Once at the top, Branch crouched down to allow Helga to offer her hand to Hilda, sporting a reassuring smile as she did.

The bluette was a little hesitant at first, but once she saw her smile, Hilda grabbed Helga's hand, grabbing Twig with her before Helga pulled them up.

"Alright, everybody on board!" Helga chirped. "Branch, to the Woff King's Mountain!"

Branch took a running start, then leapt, his limbs retracting into his body as he took off and flew towards the other Woffs, heading for the mountain as the girls perked up with excitement


	3. In the Mountain of the Woff King | The Woff Car II

"HILDA!"

Johanna exclaimed that repeatedly as she search through the streets of Trolberg, with no signs of her daughter anywhere.

"HILDA!"

"What's wrong, Mrs. Hilda's Mum?"

Johanna turned around, and to her relief, it wasn't the police, but Hilda's friends: Frida and David.

"Oh, Frida, David, I'm glad to see you!" Johanna said. "Did Hilda by any chance go to your houses?"

"Nope," David answered.

"She wasn't at my house either," Frida added. "Why do you ask?"

Johanna frowned, and after a trip back to her house-to try stay calm maybe-she explained herself to the kids:

"When I woke up this morning, and went to check if Hilda was okay, she was nowhere to be found!"

"Hilda disappeared?!" Frida asked, nearly jumping off her seat.

"She didn't just disappear, she ran away!" Johanna answered. "You know those things they do in fiction where they use bedsheets as ropes to escape? Hilda did the same thing!"

"I've never figured out how that trick even works," David remarked. "I mean, even if Hilda found something to tie the bedsheet rope with, how was it long enough to help her escape? And how did she escape without anybody noticing her?"

"David, one of our friends escaped from her house and is nowhere to be found!" Frida chided. "We should be looking all over Trolberg for her, not pointing out the realism of a fiction trope!"

"True," David turned back to Johanna. "Did something happen that would've convinced her to run away?"

Johanna looked away with an expression of regret... one that turned into realization as she thought about it further.

"David, Frida, go back to your houses," Johanna got up and walked to the door. "I think I have an idea _where_ Hilda might've gone to."

"You sure you don't need help?" Frida inquired.

"If she is where I think she is, then I'd rather have you two stay here in Trolberg," Johanna replied, taking a deep breath before opening the door. "Just... stay safe, alright?"

And with that, she left the house, the worried children following her behind.

After taking them home, Johanna walked through the streets of Trolberg until she reached her next destination: the library.

Though for some reason, the sign read "Librarby" instead.

Nevertheless, she walked inside, and headed deep into the place until she found the librarian: a fair-skinned woman with Black hair that faded into Purple tips, and who sported Grey clothes.

"Excuse me!"

The librarian stopped what she was doing and walked down the ladder, hopping off as she gave a little question:

"Hello, do you need something?"

"Yeah, Miss Librarian-"

"You can call me Kaisa."

"Okay, Kaisa... this place is the biggest collection of information regarding both normal and supernatural stuff, right?"

Kaisa lowered her eyelids. "This is a _library_ , yes."

"And you're one of those people who are very well versed with not only supernatural phenomenons, but spells and witchcraft, correct?"

"I'm a _witch_ , yes," Kaisa raised an eyebrow. "Again, is there something you need?"

Johanna scanned her surroundings, and once she verified nobody was seeing her, whispered to the librarian's ear:

"Do you know about something called... _the Infinity Train_?"

Her eyes widened, and she took a step back. "How do you know what that is?"

"So you know about it, great! I don't need to waste time explaining-"

"Nonono, you definitely have to explain this: how do you know what the Infinity Train is?!"

Johanna lowered her head and took a deep breath.

"Let's just say I have a history with it... and if my suspicions are right, Hilda is there as well."

* * *

Hilda giggled as she leaned at the side of Branch, letting out her tongue as her hair blew in the wind, kinda like what a Dog did whenever there was an open window in a moving car.

"Hilda, we're several meters above the ground!" Alfur pointed out worriedly. "Please go back before we fall off!"

"Relax, Alfur, I'm just having fun!" Hilda chirped as she crawled back. "I haven't had the chance to ride a Woff since I moved to Trolberg, let alone a Woff-Deerfox hybrid!"

Hilda turned to Helga. "How did that happen, anyway? Branch being a hybrid, I mean?"

Helga hummed. "That's a good question."

What came next was several seconds of silence, which were eventually broken by Hilda:

"And?"

"What?"

"Aren't you going to answer my question?"

Helga giggled. "Oh, Hilda, sometimes, a question doesn't really have an answer."

Hilda pouted and folded her arms, prompting Twig to tickle her through licking her hand.

It was then that she noticed Helga staring at her with a little smile, causing her to lean back slightly.

"What are you looking at?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just that I'm relieved you're enjoying the ride," Helga faced the mountain again. "When I found you, you had this big frown on your face, like something had really made you upset?"

Hilda put her legs close to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, looking elsewhere as Twig and Alfur looked at her with concern.

"Oh look, we're here!"

Hilda barely got time to raise her head before the impact of Branch's landing was felt, nearly causing her and Twig to fall off. Luckily, tightly grabbing Branch's fur was enough to keep them alive.

Helga promptly jumped off Branch's body, followed by Hilda and Twig doing the same.

"Thanks for lift, my dear Branch," Helga told Branch as the pair rubbed noses. 

Branch gave an understanding nod, and once that was done, Helga and Hilda's group approached the door to the mountain.

And befitting a door that could be seen all the way to Helga's house, it was huge. Like, "three houses stacked on top of each other" huge. And it was also rather elegant in looks, holding several Golden tones and highlights that brought to mind the idea of a palace gate.

"Okay, so, what do we do now?" Hilda clenched her fists with excitement.

Helga walked up to the door, and knocked three times before walking back to Hilda's side.

"We'll be there in a minute!" an authoritarian voice boomed from within.

"And now," Helga spoke as she glanced at the startled Hilda and company. "We wait."

"Wait, what?!" Hilda exclaimed. "We can't just stand here and wait! We need to see the Woff King right _now_!"

Helga put a finger on her chin as she hummed. "Do we really _need_ to see the Woff King right now?"

"Of course we do! That's the reason why we flew here in the first place!" Hilda snapped, stomping the ground as she added, "You said that if there's anybody here who can help me get out of this place, it's him!"

"I did say that, and I still believe that to be the case," Helga folded her arms and faced Hilda. "But I ask once again, do you _really_ want to leave?"

Hilda gritted her teeth and growled, grabbing and pulling her hair as she stomped the ground repeatedly, all while Helga watch with a neutral expression.

Then, Twig rubbed her leg and whimpered, getting her attention so she could see his visible concern. This was enough to get her to calm down, and respond:

"No, I _don't_ want to leave. But I have to! Mum's probably already awake, worried sick after finding out I-"

Hilda paused, then shook her head. "The point is, if I don't return home soon, Mum's gonna have all the reason she needs to ground me forever!"

Helga scratched her chin. "Is that really something she would do?"

"Ever since we moved to Trolberg, Mum's been constantly getting on my case, stopping me from doing the things I could back when we lived in the wilderness!" Hilda ranted, pocketing her hands as she added, "But I don't expect you to understand!"

Helga hummed, but before she could say anything, the door opened as a voice called:

"Visitors from the ground! The Woff King will see you now!"

"About time!" Hilda chirped and grabbed Helga's hand. "Let's go!"

The girls ran inside, Twig and Branch following them as the door slowly closed, slamming shut at the same time as the interior of the mountain lit up.

While the rocky walls and floor were expected, there were hundreds if not thousands of Woffs either in the air or resting on the ground

"Whoa!" Hilda giggled. "I've never seen so many Woffs gathered in one place before!"

"It really is quite a spectacle," Alfur said, taking a peek from Hilda's hair. "Although, where's the Woff King?"

"The Woff King will arrive soon," Helga remarked before facing Hilda. "In the meantime, could you let go off my hand, Hilda?"

The bluette looked down, and released Helga's hand with a sheepish smile.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Hilda reached for her back and took out a pen and a notebook. "I should probably try drawing this gathering while I still have time!"

Hilda opened the book... and at the lower left edge of the first page was a message that read:

For my sweet little artist. With love, Mom.

A melancholic look soon overtook Hilda's face, and she kept staring at the otherwise blank page for a moment, all while Helga, Twig, Alfur and Branch looked at her, some with worry, some with intrigue.

"The King has arrived!"

Hilda jumped slightly and hugged her notebook close to her chest as the king made their overwhelming entrance.

And by overwhelming, it meant Hilda was overwhelmed at seeing over a dozen Woffs tied together with their tails, their form somehow making a giant face.

"Oh wow," Hilda took a step forward. "It's like the Woff version of the Rat King!"

"Oh, great Fluffyness, it is I, Helga of the Cottage Down the Mountain!" Helga greeted while curtsing.

"It is a pleasure to see you visit, Lady Helga of the Cottage Down the Mountain," the mass of Woffs said as it bowed down... at least, it kinda looked like it. "And who might your oddly-similar friend be?"

"Hi, I'm Hilda!" the bluette chirped as she grabbed and lifted Twig. "This is my pet Deerfox, Twig! And the elf on my head's Alfur!"

"Uh, hi, your Fluffyness!" Alfur exclaimed, waving his tiny arm with a nervous smile.

The mass of Woffs stared at the group for a moment, squinting each of their individual eyes as Helga and company grew more and more nervous.

Until eventually, they answered:

"Very well! It's a pleasure to meet you, Hilda, Friend of Helga of the Cottage Down the Mountain, Owner of Twig the Deerfox, and Living House of Alfur the Elf!"

"Living house?" Hilda repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"You have come to our mountain to request an audience with us, have you not?" the Woff King asked. "Please, state your request, and we, the Woff King, will see if we can help you."

"Oh, well, long story short, I kinda... fell here after jumping into a train," Hilda giggled, scratching the back of her head. "I was wondering if you could help me go back home?"

The Woff King looked confused. "What is this "home" you are talking about?"

"Trolberg, it's a city located in-"

"We don't know any Trolberg, therefore, we can't help you get there," the Woff King bluntly stated. "However, we can help you get to the other worlds that connect our universe."

Hilda's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

"Simply put, there are many worlds connected to this one. Perhaps, as you travel them, you'll find a way to go to this fabled "Trolberg" you wish to return to."

"Sounds like the best shot we got," Hilda gained a smile. "So, can you help us?"

"We can. But only on _one_ condition," the mass of Woffs leaned closer to Hilda. "You must prove to us that you can take care of yourself, for these connected worlds offer more than a change of scenery. They're filled with dangerous fauna, exotic creatures that could eat you if you lower your guard, all connected to a world that will pull no punches in testing you and your resolve!"

"Ye-he-heah! Now you're speaking my language, Your Fluffyness!" Hilda clenched her fists and raised them with an excited smile. "I've been taking care of myself when it comes to exotic creatures for a while now, so whatever you have to test me, I can handle it! Give me your best shot!"

Hilda's palm glowed brightly for a moment as Helga glanced at her with disapproval.

"Very well then! We shall put you to the test right here, right now!"

The Woff King's eyes glowed and shot an energy beam in unison, creating an energy sphere that slowly but surely morphed into a humanoid form.

One that resembled Hilda.

"If you can defeat this Woff version of yourself, you'll prove you really can take care of yourself, and thus can take on the dangers of the connected worlds," the Woff King stated. "But you must do it alone."

"I can deal with that," Hilda grabbed Alfur and put him on Twig's back. "Stay safe with Twig while I deal with this, Alfur."

Twig whimpered, flashing puppy-dog eyes as Hilda said:

"I know you wanna help me, Twig, but you heard the Woff King: I have to do this myself."

Twig lowered his head, and walked sadly to Branch's side, who crouched down with sympathy.

With that done, Hilda took a step forward, and the Woff King materialized a baseball bat for her to use.

"You may use this bat as a weapon for the fight."

"Well then, don't mind if I do!" Hilda said as she grabbed the bat.

The bluette grabbed the bat and swung it around for a few seconds before she gripped it with both hands, sporting a wide smile as she seemingly prepared for a homerun.

"And, begin!" the Woff King boomed with a loud voice.

Hilda screamed as she ran towards her Woff doppelganger, who stood in place as Hilda jumped high and spun once before swinging her bat.

However, not only did the other Hilda block the bat with one hand, but she then clenched her fist and punched Hilda's stomach hard enough to send her flying into a wall.

"Hilda! Are you alright?!" Alfur exclaimed.

The bluette slid to the ground and dusted herself before standing up.

"I-I'm fine!" Hilda lied as naturally as she breathed. "Trust me guys, I'll win this soon enough!"

But though her mouth said those words, her strained tone and gritted teeth betrayed her intent.

_How did that thing hit me so hard?! Woffs are one of the softest creatures in existence and she's made out of them! How could something so soft hit so hard at the same time!?_

Hilda didn't get her answer fast enough to react at Woff Hilda's sudden appearance in front of her, which she followed by kicking her hard enough to send her rolling to the side.

"The strength of the other Hilda is equivalent to the journey ahead," the Woff King explained. "You have to keep your guard up at all times, for the toughest of obstacles can come at the most sudden of times."

"I-"

Hilda was grabbed and pulled by Woff Hilda, who followed by kneeing her hard enough to make her spit... something out. Then, she grabbed and spun Hilda around before sending her high into the air, to everyone's shock.

Then, she sprung up to Hilda's side, and spoke:

"Will you surrender and accept defeat?"

Hilda, angered by the statement, gripped her baseball bat and swung it, yelling:

"Never!"

But as soon as the bat made contact with Woff Hilda, it snapped in half, with the doppelganger none worse for wear.

"Your loss."

Woff Hilda punched Hilda downwards, sending her crashing so hard, a crater was left at the crashing site.

Alfur and Twig quickly ran to the unconscious girl, and Alfur hopped into her chest, gaining a smile once he heard a heartbeat.

"Oh, thank goodness, she's still alive."

Woff Hilda landed safely on the ground, barely paying attention to Twig as he snarled and lunged at her. However, she dissipated back into the Woff King just as he reached her, the Deerfox quickly directing his anger towards the mass of Woffs instead.

"Well, we believe we've seen enough. It's clear that this Hilda cannot take care of herself. Therefore, if she is to go through the journey ahead, she will need help."

"What?" Alfur asked. "But I thought if she lost, then she'd remain here?"

"If I may, Your Fluffyness," Helga said, taking a step forward. "Why don't Branch and I accompany Hilda and her companions through their trip?"

"That sounds acceptable, but their safety will be your responsibility."

"I'm well aware of that, Your Fluffyness."

And with that, the mass of Woffs merged together as they floated to the ground, creating a door with an infinity symbol right on the center.

The door opened up as Helga grabbed and lifted Hilda in a bridal carry, Twig snarling at her the whole way.

"Well, time to get going," Helga sighed. "Hilda'll have more than enough time to rest where we're heading."

And with that said, the group walked through the door, which morphed back into the Woff King as soon as the whole team walked inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, a moment of relief.
> 
> Comment and kudo at your leisure, and stay safe out there.


	4. Trolberg Blues | The Campfire Car

Hilda threw a fist in front of her before getting up, shouting out loud a fox-like battle cry before her injuries caught up to her.

"Easy now, Hilda. You need to rest as much as you can."

Helga's familiar voice made Hilda turn around to see her fellow bluette sitting on a log, roasting some sausages on a campfire while Branch rested next to her.

Then she looked up, and saw the sunset on the horizon, with Hilda taking a quick glance around her to see Alfur and Twig by her side.

"How long was I unconscious?" she asked, rubbing her forehead. "And how many meals did I miss?! Now that I think about it, at this point, Mum's definitely gonna have a heart attack! She might even have my head when-"

Hilda's injuries acted up, causing her to clutch her stomach and groan.

"Hilda, you still haven't recovered from the fight at the mountain," Alfur said as he walked to Hilda's side. "I know the situation's stressful, but try to stay calm so you can recover."

"You should listen to your miniature friend over there," Helga spoke, focusing solely on the campfire. "He seems to know your limitations better than you do."

Rather than catch on to the insult, Hilda asked, "Wait, you can see Alfur?"

"I took the liberty of having her sign the necessary papers," Alfur explained, tipping off his hat to reveal some paperwork on top of his head. "I always carry a dozen copies of the necessary paperwork, and since we're here for the long haul, I thought it was for the best."

Hilda turned to Twig, who nodded in agreement, and it was then that she realized something.

"Wait, we're no longer at the Woff King's Mountain. No longer at the Woff Lands. So, that must mean I passed the Woff King's test, right?!"

"Oh no, you failed. Quite miserably if I may add," Helga confessed, holding back a giggle. "It was the most spectacular failure I had ever seen up to that point, even."

Hilda clenched her fist, shooting a glare at Helga as it trembled.

"No, the reason we're here is because the Woff King insisted that Branch and I come along with you on your journey."

Hilda calmed down a little, her anger replaced with confusion. "Wait, I thought the test was to determine whether we'd get out of that place or not?"

Helga shook her head. "You were always gonna leave, Hilda: the test was to determine whether you could take care of yourself, or if you'd need an extra helping hand for the journey ahead. And as it should be obvious from your number, Branch and I will come with you."

Remembering her number, Hilda looked at her palm, and gasped in disbelief. Se

"250!? It was barely 220 before we saw the Woff King! How did it shoot up so high?!"

"That, I'm afraid, is something I can't really tell you," Helga answered. "How that number works and what makes it go up or down is something you'll have to figure out yourself."

Hearing that, Hilda looked at her number once again... and she asked the obvious:

"Hey, I know you said you don't know much about this number, but do you think it's better for it to go up, or down?"

"Depends," Helga threw a raised eyebrow at Hilda. "Do you wanna know what happens when your number grows bigger than your palm?"

"It's better if it goes down," Hilda lowered her head. "Got it."

Helga hummed and went back to the campfire, with the girls remaining silent with each other while their companions looked at them with worry.

"I'm... not sure how to say this," Hilda sighed. "But listen, I know I've been a bit... anxious, to get out of here-"

"And you want to apologize?" Helga interjected. "If saying "I'm sorry" is too much for you, maybe telling me the reason why you're so anxious to leave would work?"

"I can do that!" Hilda chirped. "See, there was this one time while I was going to visit my old friend, Wood Man, and we got lost. We searched a way back home for hours until we found a house that was... conveniently around-"

Helga raised an eyebrow. "And that house made you weary of this place?"

Hilda twiddled her fingers. "The house was supernatural in nature. Once we got in, the house did everything it could to keep us in. Alfur, Twig, and another friend tried to help, but they got stuck too."

Alfur and Twig frowned.

"And how did you leave?" Helga inquired. "What, did you request the house to take you back home?"

"That's pretty much what happened, actually," Alfur laughed nervously.

"... And if this place works anything like that house..." Hilda smiled. "I might know how to get out of here!"

Hilda closed her eyes and grunted as she tried to think of a way to leave, but Helga barely paid attention to her.

"Huh, I figured we'd be free by now. Maybe I need to say my thoughts out loud? Bring me back home, bring me back home-"

"Sorry to break it to you, but wherever you are now, it doesn't work like that house you mentioned," Helga sighed. "Besides, Dad tried the exact same trick, and it failed as well. If he couldn't do it, then there's no way you could."

Hilda pouted and folded her arms. "Well, aren't you the optimist?"

Helga glanced at Hilda, and with her smile returning, she asked:

"Since you told me a story, how about I tell you one of my own?"

"You have stories?" Hilda asked with a raised eyebrow. "But I thought you never left the cottage?"

"And I wasn't lying, Dad and I never left our home, sweet home..." Helga's tone suddenly turned serious. "But just because we never left, doesn't mean we never got... visitors."

Hilda's eyes widened. "Visitors?"

"People with numbers, just like you, but their numbers were bigger. Far bigger." Helfa pulled her sleeve back, then raised her arm. "So big, in fact, it covered their arms."

Hilda gulped. "It-It did?"

Helga nodded. "From the tips of their fingers, down to their elbows, they were covered by one giant number. And that's not all."

"It's not?" Alfur asked.

"No, these people... they were raiders. One way or another, they raided our homes in hopes of getting anything they could use: food, supplies, stuff like that."

Hilda rubbed her arm. "That sounds... rough..."

"And it only got worse," Helga lowered her head. "They began destroying the furniture, the walls, everything, believing that the real valuable stuff was just hidden. And then they threatened me, right on Dad's presence."

"And what did he do?" Alfur asked. "Did he drive them away?"

"He did... but he didn't do so peacefully. He grabbed and axe, and began to swing. Pretty sure he blinded some of the raiders in the process. And when he did, they tucked their tails between their legs and ran away as fast as they could."

Hilda lowered her head as Helga added:

"I learned a very valuable lesson that day. How high's the number tells you how bad a person is," Helga faced Hilda, a serious expression on her faced. "Bad people have high numbers. The worst people have numbers bigger than their palms. But good people have low numbers."

Hearing that, Hilda looked at her number once again, while Helga added:

"I know what you're thinking, and before you ask anything, let me ask you a question: do you think you're a bad person, Hilda?"

"... No..."

"Do you want to be a bad person?"

Hilda clenched her fist.

"No."

"The number, as you know now, gets higher or lower depending on what you do," Hilda leaned forward. "So, with all this in mind... what will you do, Hilda?"

"Well, for starters, I'll let you know that your sausage is burning to a crisp."

Helga looked back at her sausages, and screamed as the branch she used to cook them caught on fire, waving it around in hopes of extinguishing the flames.

"But as for what I'll actually do, It's become pretty clear to me," Hilda said, looking at her palm while Helga threw away the burnt stick into the campfire. "Going by what you said, keeping my number as high as possible won't help me whatsoever. If I want to go back home... prove I'm better than those bad people... I need to get this number to drop to zero."

Hilda's number shrank soon after, though it was by a mere five. Still, it was better than nothing.

Especially since Hilda's growling stomach gave her other things to worry about.

"So, do we have something for lunch?"

Helga looked back at the campfire, then snapped her fingers.

"I think I saw a restaurant near this area! I could go get us something to eat!"

Alfur raised an eyebrow. "You got money?"

Helga took off her beret to reveal a bunch of money. "I'm always prepared, elf boy. Now, Hilda, anything you'd like in particular?"

"Something with meat, please."

Helga flashed a thumbs up, and immediately ran away, leaving Hilda to lay back on the ground with a saddened frown.

"What's wrong, Hilda?"

"I just realized something: Mum's gotta be worried... but how are my friends doing without me around?"

* * *

David and Frida walked along the streets of Trolberg, the latter kicking a can along the way.

"Man, I can't believe Hilda ran off like that," she said. "I mean, considering how she's acted, I guess we should've seen it coming, but still, it's quite a shock."

"I'm a bit more worried that we don't know where she went," David commented. "I mean, we already talked with everybody who was up last night: the police, the librarian, that old lady who's surname I can't pronounce, and none of them saw her. Where could she have gone to?"

"She hopped onto a train."

The duo stopped on their tracks and turned to the source of the voice: a certain twin-tailed Blonde girl who was checking her mirror.

"It's you!" Frida narrowed her eyes. "The Marra who gave David nightmares!"

"Ugh, please, could you not?" she growled, focusing solely on her mirror. "Call me Amanda."

"Is that your real name?" David asked while hiding behind Frida.

"Hah, you'd wish!" the teenager chuckled. "No, it's just a name you can use. Most Marra aren't allowed to give their names to strangers, but "the Marra that gave that little scaredy cat boy nightmares" is too bothersome, so "Amanda" will have to be a compromise."

"The Marra don't share their real names?" Frida repeated. "Then Kelly-"

"Are you gonna listen to my train story or not?"

The duo exchanged looks, and after thinking about it, they nodded.

"Well, I was searching for a new victim to put through nightmares, right? Well, while I was floating around, I spotted your blue-haired brat of a friend stomping to the city limits, and I followed her. She sounded very angry, like something had happened to her that seriously soured her mood."

"Did you manage to hear what she was saying?" Frida asked.

Amanda shook her head. "I was too far away to hear her clearly. Although, even if I was close enough, I wouldn't have paid attention: I'm a nightmare maker and eater, if it doesn't help me get the girls a good meal, then it's none of my business."

"And what happened next?" David inquired.

"The police messed things up, like usual," Amanda rolled her eyes. "They patrolled near the spot she was, and she got scared. She ran away, and then, it appeared."

Amanda closed her mirror and faced the duo, leaning closer as she spoke:

"A giant black train of seemingly infinite length, whose doors opened to reveal a green portal to who knows where! Having little choice, the girl hopped in, and once she did..."

Amanda clapped her hands as hard as she could, causing David to jump and land on Frida's arms.

"The doors closed, and the train rode off into the unknown, taking your friend with it."

Amanda leaned back and went back to her mirror.

"After that, I decided to follow the police to see if I they saw anything, but by the time they arrived, the train was long gone."

"So that's why the police didn't know anything," David said as he was gently placed on the ground. "Did you see anything else?"

"Well, not so much see as I remembered something," Amanda shrugged. "But the train looked very similar to the one my friend Kelly boarded a few weeks ago."

That immediately caught the pair's attention.

"Wait, what?!"

"Yeah, Kelly said that she was feeling really upset about something, and her mother suggested she took a train that, and I quote, "always helps you grow as a person," Amanda casually explained. "She texted me how it looked: bigger than average, Black, seemingly infinite and with green glowing portals, everything matched."

"If there's a Marra in the same place as Hilda, that can only mean bad news!"

"Um, rude much?" Amanda rolled her eyes. "However, if you're planning to get on that train, I say go for it. I bet the nightmares you and your boyfriend would get from that trip would be the best!"

"Wait a minute, I see the hint, and you can't do that!" Frida snapped. "We made a deal! You were gonna leave David alone and not give him nightmares anymore!"

"Read the fine print, kid: I, alone, won't bother your boyfriend or give him nightmares," Amanda replied with a cocky grin. "But there's more than one Marra, and if the others want to enjoy his nightmares, there's nothing I can do about it. He'll just have to scream and bare it."

And with that, Amanda chuckled and walked away, pocketing her hands as she disappeared into an alleyway.

But just as her anger surged, so did Frida get an idea.

"Maybe she's got a good idea."

David frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe, just maybe, we need to get upset enough that the train will consider us as passengers! That way, once we go in, we can start looking for Hilda!"

"But Frida, that plan's utterly bonkers!" David replied. "How's an interdimensional train going to know we're upset enough that we're worthy to enter a self-reflecting journey to look for Hilda? And even if it knew, couldn't it also reject us so Hilda will have to deal with her problems on her own?"

"Then we'll just have to hope our own self-discovery takes us straight to Hilda," Frida folded her arms. "But we need to get on that train somehow."

David lowered his head, looking visibly upset before he raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"I just thought of something: you and I have had problems long before Hilda arrived in Trolberg, right?" David pondered. "Then, why hasn't the train taken us yet, and why did it take Hilda first?"

Frida's eyes widened for a second... before she shook off the thought.

"First things first, David, we need to get on the train."

But as the duo walked back home, they both were clearly worried about the nature of the question.

Needless to say, the faster they got on the train, the better.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johanna prepares to enter the train, and Hilda meets a familiar face.

It had been a couple days since Hilda had disappeared with the Infinity Train, and as much as Johanna wanted to say things got better, it was as clear as day that that wasn't the case.

Hilda's absence was quickly noticed at school, with only Johanna letting the principal know Hilda wouldn't be available for a while mitigating the damage somehow. Even so, the students were clearly upset, including Frida and David, who seemed to want to be upset for some reason.

But that wasn't all: news about the Infinity Train began circulating, stories about an interdimensional train that took those who were in their lowest point and sent them on a journey of self-discovery, to become better people.

Needless to say, and regardless of how much people bought into it, Johanna knew she was running out of time.

"Thanks for being so understanding, sir," the woman told to her boss as she finished packing up. "I assure you, I'll be back to work in no time."

_"Just focus on finding your daughter, okay? And say, Johanna, one more thing before you go."_

"Yes, sir?"

_"Do you know anything about this "Infinity Train" people keep talking about?"_

The woman paused for a few seconds before hanging up as hastily as possible.

"You really should try telling somebody about it."

Johanna turned around and saw a small creature with a head covered in hair, and a large nose that stood out from said hair, come out of a portal with a flashlight in hand.

"News about that thing are spreading fast," the creature said as he handed the flashlight to Johanna. "Sooner or later, you'll have to come clean about what you know."

"First things first, Tontu, I need to go back to that train and get Hilda out of there as fast as I can," Johanna replied as she headed for the door. "Anyhow, I can't stay here: you're in charge of the house while I'm away, Tontu!"

With that declaration, Johanna closed the door and left the apartment.

"So, you're ready."

Johanna flinched and squeaked, only calming down once she turned around to see Kaisa standing nearby.

"Nice to see you too, Kaisa," Johanna said, clutching her chest while catching her breath. "Hey, is teleportation one of the spells Witches can do?"

"No, I just did as you told me and waited for you outside your complex," Kaisa shrugged. "You took a pretty long time to leave, too."

"If I'm gonna go after that train, I have to be dang sure to bring as many resources with me as possible," Johanna sighed. "I already had to survive that stupid locomotive with nothing but wits, I'm not gonna repeat my mistakes."

"Alrighty then, more power to you," Kaisa rolled her eyes and followed Johanna. "So, remind me, what's your plan again?"

"We're gonna summon the train's conductor using that spell you showed me at the library," Johanna scratched her chin. "But it still baffles me as to how you even have a spell that can contact such an enigmatic figure."

Kaisa lowered her head. "The train's changed a lot since you were there."

Johanna raised an eyebrow. "And you know that... how?"

Kaisa flinched and stopped on her tracks, sweating as she looked everywhere for something to divert the attention... until she saw two familiar children.

"Hey, aren't those Hilda's friends?"

Johanna turned to her side, and she frowned at the sight of David and Frida looking rather upset about something. So naturally, she walked to them and asked:

"Frida, David, what's wrong?"

"Hilda still hasn't returned," David answered, lowering his head. "It's the longest she's ever spent outside of Trolberg!"

"We haven't gotten any messages from her since she left.... though now that I bring it up," Frida threw a raised eyebrow at Johanna. "Do you even know if Hilda took her phone with her?"

"I did check her room, and I even had Tontu search his place, but we couldn't find it," Johanna scratched her chin. "I assume this means she took it with her, but she hasn't answered any of my messages."

David and Frida exchanged worried looks, and at this sight, Johanna got an idea.

"Say, neither of you are planning to go after Hilda, are you?"

The duo flinched as Johanna continued:

"Because no matter what your journeys with Hilda have lead you to believe, this specific journey is way too much for you to handle."

Johanna petted David and Frida's heads.

"So please, stay safe here in Trolberg, and I'll go get Hilda back, okay?"

And with those words spoken, Johanna kept walking to the library, pocketing her hands as Kaisa and the kids watched her leave.

"I know it must be upsetting to be told you can't go help your friend, but just this once, maybe it's for the better," Kaisa crouched down and looked around before leaning closer to David's ear. "Have either of you found out about where Hilda could've gone to?"

David blushed and fumbled his words, until he answered:

"The Marra that used to give me nightmares said she saw her being swallowed by a train. One that looked like the same one her friend Kelly went to."

"So Hilda's not alone," Kaisa sighed and stood up. "Figures, the train has never been so picky about who it picks up. Let's just hope they don't take too long to solve their issues."

Frida frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"Time on the train flows the same way as in the real world: one day in the train, is one day missing on Earth," Kaisa lowered her head. "And some passengers stay there for months, even years, before they leave."

David raised an eyebrow. "And how do you know that?"

Rather than look worried like she did with Johanna, Kaisa just took a deep breath and gave the duo some advice:

"If you're planning to go to that train anyway, you better prepare yourself. It's a long, self-reflecting road, one that you won't be able to escape from unless you resolve all your issues."

And with that said, Kaisa followed Johanna, leaving the troubled children behind.

Once at the library, Kaisa took the woman through a secret bookcase entrance into a giant room, filled with books that detailed all sorts of knowledge.

Including the Infinity Train.

"I'm still a little surprised Witchkind managed to make a spell that can summon the conductor," Johanna remarked as Kaisa took out a book. "I always thought the train was impossible to see or analyze."

"Long story short, Witchkind has a connection with the train," Kaisa responded while reading the book. "Now, I'd appreciate it if you could help me set everything up for the ritual."

"Oh, right."

Johanna put her stuff on the ground and began helping Kaisa with the ritual: first by drawing a large circle on the ground, then an infinity symbol on the center.

Then, Kaisa prepared to begin the ritual... when she noticed Johanna's troubled expression.

"A parent can only blame themselves so much for how their children grow to be like," she sighed, getting the brunette's attention. "Sure, you gave Hilda a lot of freedom, but she's the one who refuses to adapt to the city," Kaisa rolled her eyes. "Blaming yourself will not get you any closer to finding your daughter, as well."

"I know... still, looking at what I did-"

Suddenly, Kaisa put her hands on Johanna's cheeks and looked directly at her eyes.

"Less focus on the past, and more on the present. Now, let's summon this conductor, shall we?"

Kaisa crouched down and put her hands on the ground. The symbol and her hands glowed as she spoke the ritual phrase, which to Johanna just sounded like a bunch of gibberish.

When the symbol glowed its brightest, Kaisa removed her hands and a sphere emerged from the circle, showing static on its interior.

The static quickly gave way to something else: a circular White and Black robot with a conductor cap.

"Oh, hello there, Kaisa!" the robot chirped. "It's been quite a while, hasn't it!"  
"Yes, One-One," Kaisa lowered her eyelids. "It's been a long time indeed."

"Kaisa, you said this spell would summon a direct connection to the conductor, right?" Johanna tilted her head. "So why are we looking at a white-black ball?"

"Greetings, Johanna! Or as you were previously known as, Passenger 683948!"

Johanna's eyes widened. "How do you know my passenger number?! Only the conductor knows a passenger's number!"

"Oh, sweet Johanna, I already told you!" One-One giggled. "I'm One-One, the conductor of the Infinity Train!"

"What?"

"Then again, going by your reaction, you were probably a passenger during the time Amelia acted as the conductor!" One-One poked himself with one of his limbs. "Boy, how weird must it be to see the real conductor after all this time!"

"One-One, we don't have time for this!" Kaisa snapped. "Listen, Johanna's daughter Hilda went missing, and we have reason to believe she might've been picked up by the train! Could you tell us if that's true?"

"Hilda..." One-One hummed. "Does she have blue hair?"

Johanna flinched. "Yes..."

"She wears Red, Yellow, and Blue clothing?"

Johanna smiled. "Yes..."

"Is she intrepid and a little bit cocky, maybe a bit too much for her own good?"

Kaisa and Johanna held hands as she chirped "Yes!" in unison.

"Does she wake up every morning with a thunderous yodeling, then proceeds to ride a winged unicorn into battle, all while singing and strumming an acoustic guitar?"

The women exchanged looks, raised an eyebrow, and said a simple "no." while shaking their heads.

"Oh thank goodness! Because that Hilda has been dead for over a decade now!"

"ONE-ONE!" Kaisa yelled.

"Okay, sorry, I think we do have a Hilda that fits the previous description, though. Let me have a look."

The robot pressed a few buttons, and after a short wait, a list appeared behind him, prompting him to move aside as he said:

"You mean this Hilda, right? She's the new passenger 683948."

* * *

Hilda's group walked through a door into an open field, Hilda covered in some tea.

"It's weird, after a Woff-populated land, a forest, and whatever that tea party car was all about, I can't believe the next car is about bike racing."

"And I can't believe you nearly caused a ruckus at the last car," Alfur said, shaking himself. "I mean, did you have to spit the tea right at the patron's face?!"

"Of course I did, that tea was terrible!" Hilda responded as she looked at her surroundings. "But hey, that was then, and this is now, and to be honest, I'm actually kinda worried."

Helga raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Hilda pointed forward, and the group saw a bike race taking place, several children laughing as they sped through the field.

"A bike race?" Alfur asked. "Why would a bike race worry you? Didn't you learn how to ride a bike with David and Frida?"

Hilda scratched her head with a slight blush. "I might've forgot to add I'm still learning how to drive one without training wheels..."

"Out of the way, nerds!"

The group moved away as a Pink biker rode past them, braking and stopping near a corner as the rider reached for their helmet.

And once she took it out, anger surged through Hilda as she saw an all-too familiar face:

Kelly.

"You're the Marra who shoved Frida straight into the Black Hound's jaws!" Hilda snapped as she and her group approached the Blonde. "What are you doing here!?"

"I'm pretty certain," Helga interjected as she walked to Kelly's side. "She's here for the same reason you are."

Helga grabbed Kelly's hand and raised it, revealing a green, glowing "32" on her palm.

"You got a number too?"

"So what if I do!?" Kelly snapped, yanking her hand away. "I can't help it, okay? This dumb train put a number on my palm as soon as I came in."

Hilda looked at her numbered palm and showed it to Kelly. "Same as me."

"Whoa, you must have a lot of baggage if your number is that high to begin with," Kelly remarked as she folded her arms and leaned forward. "What even happened that brought you to the Infinity Train?"

"The Infinity Train?" Alfur and Hilda asked in unison.

"That's what my Mum called it, anyhow. According to her, the train appears to someone when they're at their lowest and gives them a chance to grow for the better, or something," Kelly rolled her eyes and put a hand on her hip. "Now, I'll ask again: what are you doing here?"

"Well..." Hilda looked elsewhere. "There's a chance I got some issues to work out myself. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to give me nightmares while I'm here."

"Please, I've had more than enough kids to give nightmares to during my stay here," Kelly replied with a cocky smile. "Why would I switch focus to you?"

Hilda gritted her teeth, and raised her guard as Kelly leaned towards her.

"Besides, there's something much more terrifying lurking around."

Hilda raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Seriously?" Kelly smirked. "How long have you been here?"

"A couple days... I think."

"And yet... you've never heard of the Apex?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, we learn about the Apex.
> 
> Comment and kudo at your leisure, and stay safe out there.


	6. Give Me A Call | The Bike Race Car II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hilda gets a phone call.

With the latest bike race finished, Hilda's group followed Kelly to a table with a food court nearby, where the group sat down to eat while she explained:

"The Apex are a group of passengers who have decided to make their numbers as high as possible. They do this because they've convinced themselves that this is what the train's for, and that if your number goes all the way down, you die."

"That's a... pretty harsh way to put it," Alfur said.

Hilda faced Helga, who looked away. "So, the bad people you talked about-"

"They were the Apex, yeah," Helga scratched her head. "Though, at the time Dad and I were attacked, we didn't know what they were called."

"Whoa, so your friend survived an attack from the Apex?" Kelly raised an eyebrow. "And without a dozen scars or traumas? That's impressive!"

"How do you know about the Apex?" Hilda asked sternly. "And in fact, how long have you even been here?"

"A couple days, at most," Kelly shrugged. "At least, that's how I think this place works. One thing's for sure: my number was way bigger before I reached this car."

Hilda snickered and rolled her eyes. "That I can believe."

Kelly furrowed her brow, her disapproval in full display.

"So, all I gotta do is win the bike race to pass the car, right?" Hilda snickered. "This is gonna be the easiest car ever!"

"Oh, sorry, I forgot to mention," Kelly folded her arms behind her back. "You can't use training wheels in the bike race."

"What?!"

"What do you mean "what?!" Hilda?" Alfur asked. "It's simple bike racing rules."

"You just gotta ride your bike across the lap three times and land somewhere on first, second, or third place," Kelly added. "Once you do, a door should open."

"So, between first and third place," Hilda folded her arms. "Is that the reason why you're here? Because you haven't reached the top three yet?"

"Nah, I just got here, and besides, you should be a little more grateful for that," Kelly chuckled and checked her nails. "After all, if you're really as bad on the bike as you've implied, you're gonna need all the help you can get-"

"No way am I falling for that!" Hilda snapped, standing up and slamming her fist down the table. "You shoved Frida towards the Black Hound! Tricked her into becoming your friend! Do you really think I'm going to trust you after that!?"

"You don't need to trust me, you just need to trust my judgement; which I assure you, is an entirely different thing," Kelly stood up. "But besides, you don't really have the right to call me out in treating your friend badly when you've done the same."

Hilda gritted her teeth. "Say that again!"

"Gladly, but another time," Kelly put her arms behind her head and went for the food. "Right now, we should have something to eat, don't you think?"

Hilda got ready to answer when her phone rang. The bluette sighed and took it out, barely glancing at the screen before she hung up.

"You know, your phone's been ringing for quite a while now," Kelly remarked as she walked away. "Maybe you should answer the caller already."

"Or maybe, just maybe, the caller should get the hint that I'm not in the mood to talk," Hilda shrugged. "I mean, I'm in the middle of a supernatural train! I have more important things to do than answer a random phone call!"

"It's not really random, though," Alfur pointed out. "It clearly says that your mother's calling you."

"Alfur, shush!"

Helga hummed. "Hilda, you mind if I see your phone?"

"Actually, yes, I do mind very much," Hilda lowered her eyelids. "Especially if you just heard what Alfur said. I mean, don't get me wrong, Helga, I like you: but just because I like you, doesn't mean I trust you."

Helga narrowed her eyes. "Well, what I'm about to do isn't gonna help in that regard."

"Wha-"

Helga snatched Hilda's phone and checked it, Branch stepping to her side and keeping the group in place with a single glare.

Hilda could do nothing but grit her teeth as Helga inspected the phone's recent calls... and noticed something peculiar:

"Every single call in the past few hours have been from your Mum."

Helga scowled at Hilda. "And you haven't answered her even once."

Hilda looked elsewhere, folding her arms and pouting as Kelly finally returned.

"Okay, I got sandwiches, juice boxes, just a tray of whatever you may wanna eat," Kelly put the tray on the table, and by then, she noticed the tension. "What's wrong?"

Hilda eyed Helga, gesturing her not to spill the beans. But Helga wasn't quite keen on doing that.

"Hilda's Mum has been calling her for a while now, and she hasn't answered even once."

Hilda ran her hands through her face as Kelly reacted:

"What? No wonder she's been calling like crazy, then, she must be worried sick!"

"She's always worried sick! Being worried it's just her natural mood nowadays!" Hilda rolled her eyes. "She probably just wants to tell me to go back home right now, which I can't exactly do at the moment!"

"Then why don't you straight up tell her that?"

"Because then she'd only get more worried!"

And as if on cue, Hilda's phone rang once again. The Bluette tried to snatch her phone back, but Helga slid it to Kelly before grabbing and keeping Hilda trapped in a full nelson.

Kelly grabbed the phone, and after a quick look at the screen revealed Hilda's Mum was calling again, the Marra answered the call.

"Hello?"

Hilda tried harder to try break free from Helga's grasp as Kelly continued talking:

"I'm Kelly, a former friend of one of Hilda's friends... yeah, she's here with me, though I don't know how to explain exactly where we are... okay, so, it's a big, apparently infinite, interdimensional train..."

And then, Kelly's eyes widened. "Wait, you've heard about it before? Where?"

Hilda stopped struggling as she joined everybody's shock.

"I see... yeah, no, Hilda's fine, we were gonna train for a bike race after having lunch, actually... yeah, we'll be stuck in the car until we get top three, why do you ask?"

And then, Kelly raised an eyebrow. "Why are you asking us to stay there for now?"

And then, the call ended. With that done, Helga released Hilda while Kelly handed her the phone back, Hilda keeping her head low as she snatched it.

"Yeah, your Mum sounds rather worried for you," Kelly remarked while checking her nails. "Asked us to stay in this car for a moment, too. Don't really know what that's abo-"

Then, a sudden pain struck Kelly's shin, the Marra grabbing it and whimpering in pain as the hitter, Hilda, stomped away.

"You're lucky I need you for training, because otherwise, I'd be giving you the beating of your life!" she yelled as she pocketed her phone. "Next time you shove your nose in domeone else's business, you better be ready for the backlash!"

Kelly's pain slowly vanished, being replaced by surprise.

"I know that tone of voice. A tone that sounds like pure rage, but it's actually sheer terror."

Hilda stopped in place as Kelly continued:

"Though you're angry, it's not because you're actually furious that I called your Mum. That's a reason, but it's not the main reason. No, you're angry, because you're worried about what's going to happen now, aren't you?"

Hilda clenched her fists.

"You have Mum issues, don't you?"

"... I'm done listening to your ramblings-"

"Take it from someone who's had to deal with Mum issues before: ignoring your Mum won't help anybody. Not you, and most certainly not her," Kelly narrowed her eyes. "The only way you'll get to deal with them is if you swallow your pride and tackle the issue head-on-"

"Geez, shut up already!"

Hilda bolted off to elsewhere, all while Kelly and Helga watched her run off.

* * *

Once she was far away enough, Hilda sat on a bench and charged her phone, resting her cheek on her palm as she waited.

"Hilda, what was that all about?" Alfur asked.

"Shut up, Alfur, I'm not in the mood to talk."

The tiny elf took a moment to think about what to say, and once he got an idea, he spoke:

"You know your Mum better than I do, Hilda. You should know that keeping her in the dark like this will only get her worried-"

"The problem's not that I'm not answering her calls, the problem's that even if I did, she'd still be a worrywart!"

"... What?"

"Don't act like you don't see it! Every time a supernatural phenomenon happens and my Mum finds out about it, she gets worried about it! And even worse, she tries to "protect" me from them: she told Raven Leader to monitor me more closely after the Vittra deal, prohibited me from going to the woods after the house incident, and after the Marra thing, she forced me to sleep with a dreamcatcher!"

"Which wouldn't have really worked, anyway."

Hilda flinched and turned around, seeing Kelly sitting nearby as she continued:

"The Marra aren't really deterred by a dreamcatcher. It'll severely hamper our powers, but that's about it."

Hilda looked elsewhere, furrowing her brow. "That just further proves my point! Between the two of us, I'm the only one who knows how to deal with the supernatural, and yet she insists on trying all those dumb things because she's a worrywart!"

"Well, with a daughter like you, can you really blame her? Besides, she's a parent. A single one at that. Of course she's gonna get worried when her child's in trouble."

"I can take care of myself!"

Kelly rolled her eyes. "By that logic, you don't need me to train you to use a bike without training wheels."

Hilda flinched, but quickly regained her composure. "N-No, I guess I don't!"

Kelly eyed Hilda sternly. "And you probably don't need help to get to the top three."

"Not really, no!"

"Hilda, what are you doing?!" Alfur cried. "Don't throw away a little help just to prove a point!"

But his worries fell on deaf ears.

"I'll show you! Just show me where I can get a bike and I'll prove it to you!"

Kelly pointed at a bike store nearby, where Helga waved her hand with a little smile. Hilda adjusted her beret, and ran to the store, Kelly looking at her with a weary expression.

It was clear this kid wasn't getting off the train anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, Hilda begins racing.
> 
> Comment and kudo at your leisure, and stay safe out there.


	7. Little Victory | The Bike Race Car III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frida learns about the Train, and Hilda rides without training wheels.

"Is this the spell we're looking for, Miss Pilqvist?"

"Sweetie, I already told you, call me Tildy. And yes."

That was the dialogue shared by Frida and her Witch mentor, Matilda Pilqvist, or Tildy as she preferred, while they were flipping some pages of a book.

"Now, this spell requires a ritual in order to work properly, so let's start by setting it up."

"R-Right... uh, Tildy?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I wanted to ask you something," Frida twiddled her fingers. "You're very knowledgeable about magical stuff, so I was wondering-"

"Yeah?"

"... Do you know about something called the Infinity Train?"

The older Witch faced Frida with a serious expression for a while... then smiled and nodded.

Frida perked up. "Really?!"

"The Infinity Train is a very big part of Witch culture: you see, several centuries ago-"

"No offense, Tildy, but I don't have all day. Could we skip to the important bits?" Frida twiddled her thumbs. "Like, what's the Train's purpose?"

Tildy smiled. "The Train serves as mobile therapist: once you go inside, you're taken through a fantastical journey to work out your issues and grow into a better person. But it also works as a punishment."

Frida grimaced. "Punishment?"

"If a Witch turns out to be too unruly, childish, or just outright unwilling to listen to reason, the Train is summoned so it can give them a reality check."

"I..." Frida lowered her head. "I see..."

Tildy tilted her head. "If you don't mind me asking, sweetie, why are you asking this peculiar question?"

"I have reason to believe..." Frida hesitated for a moment, but once she got her thoughts together, she finished. "Hilda's on the train as we speak."

Tildy hummed. "Did your friend Hilda show any troubles or issues? Attitude problems, peer pressure..."

Frida looked up as she tried remembering...

* * *

* * *

_"Hilda, please follow the protocol."_

_Frida poked her head out from under her desk, just enough to see Hilda folding her arms and rolling her eyes._

_"Take it from someone who's dealt with Trolls before: hiding under a desk won't help you during a Troll attack whatsoever."_

_Then, Hilda got off her desk. "In fact, the best thing you can do is avoid its attention, but that's easier said than done."_

_Frida frowned. "Hilda..."_

_"Trolls may not have visible ears, but they can hear very well," Hilda explained, oblivious to the teacher leaving her desk and approaching her. "Even the slightest twig break will catch their attention! And let's not get started on bells-"_

_"Hilda!"_

_The Bluette turned around, glaring at the woman as she growled:_

_"While I appreciate you wanting to... enlighten us, about Trolls, there's a time and place for everything."_

_"But this "hiding under the desk" nonsense is pointless!" Hilda put her hands on her hips. "Even if you could hide, the Troll could simply lift the desk and it'd find you."_

_The teacher pinched the bridge of her nose. "Hilda..."_

_"I mean, Trolls are many things, but blind isn't one of them."_

_Realizing the hole Hilda was digging with her words, Frida left her hiding spot and whispered: "Hilda!"_

_But it fell on deaf ears, just in time for Hilda to pridefully boast:_

_"I mean, take it from someone who's been living in the woods, surrounded by Trolls: if there's anybody here who knows how to survive a Troll attack, that'd be me!"_

_"Alright, that's enough!" the teacher snapped. "Head to the principal's office immediately!"_

* * *

"She definitely has an attitude issue, among other things," Frida scratched her head. "But I don't think that'd be enough for the Train to pick her up, right?"

"Well, the Train usually picks up passengers with only one significant issue, but once in a while, it picks up someone with several underlying issues."

Frida grimaced. "S-Several... issues?"

"What I can tell you is that, despite being connected to Witch culture, the Infinity Train, for the most part, does its own thing." Tildy sighed. "If somebody has issues, no matter how many, the Train picks them up, and gives them a self-reflecting journey to deal with them."

Finally, Frida asked the most important question:

"You said the Infinity Train picks up people with multiple issues sometimes. Just out of curiosity... do they have a harder journey compared to the average passenger?"

Tildy took off her glasses and cleaned them while giving Frida the simplest of truths:

"The more issues within a person, the more work and effort is needed to deal with them. So, if you're asking if your friend Hilda's gonna have a hard time at the Train, because she has many issues... the answer's pretty much yes."

* * *

Speaking of Hilda, she finished changing into a setup for a bike race: a blue shirt with a "13" on the stomach, a pair of black fingerless gloves with matching shorts, a yellow helmet with her beret on top, and red skate shoes.

"I still don't understand why I have to change clothes into something more befitting a bike race," she commented. "I mean, the helmet I get, it can be a life saver, but why must I wear the rest of the setup?"

"The Infinity Train works in mysterious ways," Helga said, now sporting a similar setup, but with Green, Purple, and Orange instead. "The only thing we can do is try to play by the rules and hope things go well."

Helga quickly scanned the avaibale bikes for rent, then snapped her fingers and watched as Branch nodded and morphed into a small, sentient bike.

"Wha-Branch can turn into a bike?!" Hilda exclaimed before looking at Kelly. "Is that even legal?"

"As long as you have a bike, it's fair," Kelly sighed as she got on her bike and went to the starting line. "Now shut up and get a bike of your own."

Hilda pouted at the statement. However, she kept her priorities straight: she grabbed one of the bikes, stood uneasily on the seat, and began pedaling... before tilting too much to a side and plummeting to it, startling Twig.

One apology later, Hilda walked with her bike at hand, going straight to the starting line where four other people, Kelly and Helga included, stood ready for the start.

"What are you doing here?" Kelly growled.

"I'm gonna take part on the race, duh!" Hilda replied as she sat on the bike.

"I thought you said you were gonna practice?"

"The faster I get to the top three, the faster I can move on to the next car," Hilda sat uneasily on her bike and grabbed the handle. "Besides, nobody got anything done without taking risks!"

Kelly lowered her eyelids. "Did you put on some lipstick beforehand?"

"Haha, I'm too young to wear makeup, Genius," Hilda responded. "Why would you even ask me that?"

Kelly flashed a cocky smile. "'Cause if you're gonna kiss the ground, you might as well look pretty while doing it."

"Why you-!"

*BANG!*

The race proper started, and Kelly and the two riders to her right took off, leaving Hilda and Helga behind.

"Hey, wait a minute! I wasn't ready!"

"Nobody's ever really ready, Hilda," Helga remarked as she rode off. "Sometimes, you just gotta have fun while not thinking about it."

And as her copycat rode off into the distance, Hilda looked down at her pedals and took a deep breath. She put her feet on them, and began... well, pedaling.

She at first moved slowly, but the fact she hadn't hit her face on the ground already brought a smile to her face.

So she tightly gripped her handle and narrowed her eyes as she sped up, a cocky smile forming as she reached Helga.

"I thought you didn't know how to ride it without training wheels?" Helga asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, you did give me a hint on how to do it!" Hilda smirked. "I'm gonna have fun, not think about it, and win this race!"

Helga hummed and looked forward. "You'll do two of those things, at least."

And as the Bluettes came head-to-head, Kelly looked behind her and her eyelids lifted a bit at seeing Hilda not hitting the ground like she expected. Her riding was a little uneven, sure, but she was actually staying on the dumb bike.

Smiling at this turn of events, Kelly faced the track and sped up, leaving the pair to race each other for a while.

They weren't able to do many crazy tricks, since the race track was as simple as it came, but this only made them more determined to get ahead of the other, sporting smiles as they clashed.

And then, before the duo even knew it, they had crossed the finish line, the gunshot heard causing them both to stop and catch their breath.

They walked to a bench and put the bikes on the side, grabbing a water bottle and taking a sip of them as they sat down, joined by Twig and a detransformed Branch.

"I can't believe it... I rode a bike!" Hilda chirped while Twig waggled his tail by her side. "Without training wheels!"

Helga nodded. "That you did."

"And I didn't crash on the land, or tumble down the hill, or be sent flying by my bike exploding for no reason!"

"And," Helga took another sip. "You reached the finish line. I'm proud of you, Hilda."

Hilda smiled with a tiny blush. "Thanks."

"Good job out there, Hilda!" Alfur blurted, coming out of her hair.

"Oh, right, I keep forgetting you're in my hair, Alfur," Hilda snickered. "Was it a bumpy ride?"

"Not really, it was actually pretty pleasent."

After another sip of her bottle, emptying it in the process, Hilda stood up and looked around for the score... and once she did, she grimaced.

Hilda was in fourth place, above Helga but beneath Kelly and the minimum spot needed to go home.

"Fo... fo... fo..."

Twig walked to Hilda's side, but her suddenly clenching her fist startled him.

"Fofo... fofo... fo..."

"H-Hilda, c-calm down please," Alfur pleaded. "It's not as b-bad as it looks-"

Suddenly, Hilda yelled at heavens:

"FOOOOURTH PLAAAAACE!?"

"Is that so bad?"

Hilda snapped at Helga, whose calm smile slowly vanished, though she remained calm.

"Bad? Bad!? IT'S TERRIBLE!"

Helga rolled her eyes and kept drinking her water.

"The longer we stay on this car, the deeper the hole I dig, Helga: I need to leave as soon as I can!"

"Hey, you said you couldn't ride a bike if it didn't have training wheels, and not only did you prove otherwise, but you didn't end dead last like myself," Helga finished her drink. "Can't you take a moment to enjoy that little victory?"

"Oh I don't know," Hilda folded her arms and glared. "Can you take a moment to swallow your pride and admit you were wrong!?"

Helga crushed the water bottle with her bare hands, then threw it away as she stood up and asked a simple question, with the heaviest of tones:

"What are you saying?"

"You told me that we were going to ace this race and have fun!"

Helga gently jabbed Hilda's head. "I only said we were going to have fun. If we did wind up winning the race by complete accident, perfect, but that was never the intention."

"That was never the intention?! Sorry to break it to you, but we don't have all the time in the world!" Hilda yelled. "While we're stuck here racing a bunch of kids on bikes, my Mum must be having a heart attack wondering where the heck did I run off to! She can only take comfort in the idea that I'm in the wilderness for so long! At least, assuming that was her first thought!"

"If you knew that running off like this would've caused your Mum to panic, why did you do it in the first place?"

"Again with the vague questions, Helga!? We don't have time for this!" Hilda got on her bike again. "Come on, let's go back to the starting line! We gotta be ready for when the next race starts!"

"What you gotta do now is slow the heck down."

The Bluettes and co. turned around to see Kelly approaching them, the Marra grabbing Hilda's bike before it tumbled over.

"What are you still doing here!?" Hilda snapped as she got off her bike. "You reached the top three! I mean, just barely, yes, but that's better than nothing! You should be going on your own merry way right now!"

Kelly narrowed her eyes, and Hilda quickly got the message and shut her mouth.

"You know what? A part of me wants to go on. To leave this dang car and leave you two to sulk and figure things out for yourself, since a certain little someone has an attitude problem."

Hilda narrowed her eyes, while Helga glared disapprovingly... at Hilda. Which she was joined by Branch.

"But... your display just now was rather good," Kelly smiled. "Much more than what I expected from someone like you."

"Okay, are you complimenting me, or insulting me?" Hilda frowned. "Pick one."

"You'd be surprised at how easy it is for both to overlap," Kelly replied, her eye twitching slightly. "But anyway, think about it: this was the first time you rode a bike without training wheels, and not only did you manage to ride it without falling flat on your face, but you came inches away from entering the top three."

"Let's be honest there: with only four other people in that race, with one of them being Helga, getting the top three should've been easy and yet I missed!" Hilda put her hands on her hips. "Look, you might be having the time of your life here. The kids around us surely do. But I got better things to do than race in circles again and again for a chance to leave this stupid car!"

Kelly narrowed her eyes, clenching her fists more and more as Hilda refused to shut up:

"I don't need a lesson on how to bike without training wheels! I need to get out of this dumb train right here, right now!"

*SMACK!*

Hilda dropped to the floor as everybody gasped, Alfur falling off her hair and landing on Twig's back as they approached Hilda... just seconds before she was grabbed by her collar.

Twig and Branch snarled at Kelly, but the Marra just had to shot one green, glowing glare to get them both to stand back.

"Alright, you little brat, let me be crystal clear with you, because anything less just seems to go in one ear and out the other with you!" Kelly snarled at Hilda, grabbing and forcing her to look at the number on her palm. "You see this number? You see the very number on your palm? This number is a metaphysical chain! As long as this number is anything other than zero, you're trapped in this Train with everybody else! You wanna get out of here!? Get this number down to zero! That's the only way you're leaving this Gaia-forsaken Train!"

Kelly threw Hilda to the ground, the Bluette being surrounded by her companions as Kelly continued:

"And that's not all! Wanna learn how the number works? The more you act like an inconsiderate prick and refuse to face your issues, the higher it gets! And the more you act like an actual human being and deal with your problems, the lower it gets! That's the only way there is to change the number, and every time it changes, it'll glow, it'll let you know, and once it changes, it'll be up to you how much longer it takes for it to change again, and again, and again, until eventually, hopefully, maybe even miraculously, the number finally hits zero, and the portal back home finally opens up for you! But that's not something that happens in the blink of an eye! Change is gradual! Slow! It takes its time! You can't just rush it, because then you risk going back to square one, which means having an even longer stay at this stupid Train! And let me tell you something: with how big your dumb number is currently, I can tell you that whether you like it or not, you're gonna stay a long time here, understood!?"

*Sniff*

Kelly finally stopped her ranting and took a good look at the scene in front of her: Hilda was hugging Branch, while Twig laid by her side and Helga patted her back, Hilda herself letting out tiny, muffled whimpers while shivering.

Dang it, she went overboard again, didn't she?

"Listen, I didn't snap at you like I just did because I wanted to demoralize you or anything. That's the last thing I want to see happen on this Train to anybody, by my hand or not. No, I snapped the way I did, because sometimes, there's simply no other way to get people to get the message."

"But did you have to slap me!?" Hilda screamed, pointing at her slapped cheek, handprint included.

"No, that was to show you what happens when you test people's patience too much, and to also slap away your idea that you not only need to leave now, but that you can leave now," Kelly folded her arms. "Because the truth of it is, you can't. You can't leave the Train right now, you can't leave the Train wherever you want, and you can't force your number to go down to zero. Again, change is slow. It takes time. And we can't rush it, or else we waste time instead."

Hilda calmed down and wiped off her tears. "B-But... m-my Mum-"

"If you're worried about her getting too worried for your safety, then talk to her," Helga pointed out. "Send her a message, call her, just, try to communicate with her. Because having your phone and not letting your Mum know you're okay is the same as not having a phone and leaving her to guess whether you're fine or not."

Hilda took a couple deep breaths as the grouped slowly broke off from her, and she exchanged looks with Kelly, whose expression had softened into a true neutral look.

"The next race won't happen for a couple hours. Take that time to rest and figure out what you'll do-"

But before she could leave, Hilda grabbed Kelly's arm.

"Teach me."

The Marra turned around. "Huh?"

Hilda raised her head, and spoke:

"Teach me... what I'm doing wrong..."


End file.
